Ottawa Citizen
July 6, 2004 Tuesday Final Edition
Egoyan takes top prize at Armenian film fest: Canadian’s movie about
genocide caused uproar in Turkey
by Tony Lofaro
Canadian filmmaker Atom Egoyan’s controversial film Ararat continues
to pick up honours two years after it first caused an uproar among
the Turkish people.
The film was awarded the top prize yesterday at the Golden Apricot
Film Festival in Yerevan, Armenia, which showcases works by ethnic
Armenian directors and this year featured 57 movies by directors from
20 countries.
Mr. Egoyan is a Canadian of Armenian descent and his film, made in
2002, tells the plight of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey. Armenians say
a 1915-1923 campaign to force Armenians out of eastern Turkey left
1.5 million people dead and amounted to genocide.
Turkey says the number of Armenians who died is inflated, and that
people died during civil unrest and not as the result of a planned
campaign.
The movie starred Mr. Egoyan’s wife, Arsinee Khanjian, Christopher
Plummer, Elias Koteas, and newcomer David Alpay, who played one of
the central roles in the film.
Ararat was screened out of competition at the Cannes Film Festival in
2002 and was also selected that year as the opening night gala film
at the Toronto International Film Festival. It was a hit in Canada
and went on to win five awards, including best picture, at the 2003
Genie Awards in Toronto.
Last year, the Turkish cultural minister agreed the film could be
released in the country, but it never made it to theatres. The
Armenian National Committee of Canada said the distributor pulled it
after receiving threats from Ulku Ocaklari, a group with ties to the
Grey Wolves, a nationalist paramilitary group, as well as the Turkish
military and intelligence units.
The threats did not bother Mr. Egoyan, who has said the events
depicted in the film were completely substantiated.
At a news conference at the Cannes Film Festival, Mr. Egoyan was
asked about the issues the film raises. He replied: “This is not a
film that is trying to demonize present-day Turks. In fact, it is the
opposite — I am trying to ask the viewer to consider what it means
to pass judgment on somebody who is alive today for things that were
done, for good or for evil, by people who are no longer around.”
The title of the film refers to the mountain that Armenians regard as
their national symbol, which is now in Turkey.